Rue du Gros-Horloge
The Rue du Gros-Horloge is the main public pedestrian thoroughfare in the French city of Rouen.[1]
 View of the street | |
  Shown within France | |
| Coordinates | 49°26′31.322″N 1°05′4.061″E |
|---|---|
| From | Place de la Cathédrale |
| To | Place du Vieux-Marché |
Origin of the name
It takes its name from the Gros Horloge, one of the emblematic monuments of the city.
Historical
It is possible that the street is located on the axis corresponding to the decumanus of the Gallo-Roman city of Rotomagus, the former name of Rouen.
In 1527, the street was spanned by a stone arch, which then led to the old town hall.
It bore the names of "Grande-Rue", "rue Courvoiserie", "rue Courvoyserie", "rue Massacre", "rue Vanterie", "rue Wanterie" before reverting to the name "Grande-Rue" during the Revolution before taking its current name.[2]
In 1932, the first Monoprix store in France opened there, under the name Noma, a contraction of “nouveau magasin” (new store).
In 1971, the street became the first pedestrian street in France.[3]
References
Bibliography
- Eustache de la Quérière, Description historique des maisons de Rouen, Paris, Firmin Didot, 1821
- Arnaud Perinelle and Véronique de Haas, Rouen : Le Gros-Horloge, Condé-sur-Noireau, Charles Corlet, 1982, 32 p. (ISBN 2-85480-033-8, OCLC 461979910)